Tigers GM: Cabrera won't be dealt

If you were hoping the Red Sox might add Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera to bolster their lineup at some point this season, Dave Dombrowski suggests that you might want to come up with a Plan B.

Dombrowski, the Tigers' general manager, shot down ESPN-fueled speculation that the club will consider dealing the 25-year-old first baseman this summer should they need to dump payroll because of the struggling economy.

"I think it's absurd, absolutely absurd," Dombrowski told MLB.com's Jason Beck Tuesday night. "We have no interest in trading Miguel Cabrera. We have had no talks regarding Miguel Cabrera. Not only is it one of the last things we would ever consider, we have an owner [Mike Ilitch] who would never let that happen. This is our core player who's our foundation."

Perhaps the most interesting item to Sox fans in the MLB.com report is this:

Another reason for the speculation was the season-opening slump from Boston slugger David Ortiz and the possibility that the Red Sox could try to trade for another slugger if Ortiz couldn't pull out of it.

Cabrera, who batted .292 with 37 homers and 127 RBIs last season, his first as a Tiger, is due $126 million over the next six years of his contract. He is making $15 million this year as part of an eight-year deal he signed with Detroit after being traded by the Florida Marlins in December 2007.